


Hands on a Miracle

by GettheSalt



Series: About Holidays [6]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Birthday, Gen, M/M, Newborn Children, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 12:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6704917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GettheSalt/pseuds/GettheSalt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adoption confirmed, paperwork ready to go, nursery painted and crib built. Prospective parents? Nervous, but excited. The only thing left is for the baby to come. Leo and Grant think they’re ready, but, when the time actually comes to go to the hospital, will they be?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hands on a Miracle

The weird thing, Leo thought, about the fact that they had spent so much time getting the nursery ready for the baby, was that they wouldn't be using the nursery a whole lot for the next few weeks, to the next few months. It would be important, yes, for the baby to understand and get used to sleeping away from them, but there was little arguing with the fact that Grant had rolled the crib into their bedroom, and soundly put the bassinet inside, and looked at Leo for a challenge that he just wasn't going to give. The better option, for now, even with the state of the art baby monitor system that Leo had built, was to have the baby sleep in the room with them. They wouldn't be too far away, and the slightest thing would wake both of them up and have them at the crib almost immediately.

It didn't bode well for their sleep patterns, but Grant, of the two of them, had been reading books about that, and seemed to have figured out a way that they both could work out a nap schedule so that, even if the baby was one of those 'up all night' kinds, they wouldn't be hurting _too_ much from lack of sleep.

Trust the former specialist to have planned a strategy around _sleep_.

And not just that, either. Grant had gone as far as consulting different dog experts on how best to prepare a dog for the imminent arrival of a new baby, especially when that baby wasn't going to have been expected by the animal, due to the adoption. Leo had caught him talking to Scout, once or twice, while he let the dog sniff around the nursery, and inspect the crib. It would be different when the baby was there, and they both knew that, but getting Scout acquainted with how things would change in their home was the best step they could take.

It had seemed to work; Scout had taken to sleeping just outside the nursery door, or, during the day, Leo could sometimes find him settled by the crib in their room.

Everything was ready. The sleeping arrangements, the dog, the house was baby-proofed, and the two of them were as ready as they would ever be.

And it was a damn good thing, because the baby was due to come any day now.

Since Alicia and Nolan had made it clear that they were the couple they had chosen to adopt their baby, the communication between them and the birth couple had been open and frequent. Having heard so many horror stories about how an adoptive couple could be overbearing and an annoyance to the birth mother, both Grant and Leo had been hesitant, but at Alicia's insisting, they had all exchanged cell numbers, and spoke a few times a week.

Spread out on the couch, with his feet in Grant's lap while _Pacific Rim_ played on TV, Leo was glad that they had opened the line of communication, this way. “Alicia says she's looking forward to not having to wear flip-flops all the time.” He said, looking over his phone at Grant. The other man raised an eyebrow, looking his way. “Her feet are swollen.”

“Oh.” Grant made a face that made it clear that he both sympathized, and yet, did not understand. How could he? How could either of them? It wasn't like they were with child. “I didn't even think of that. I just thought about...” He made a half-circle gesture over his stomach, and Leo laughed.

“The whole body revolts. Everything swells. Honestly, I'm glad we planned what we did.” That being, in thanks, they had gone ahead and tentatively booked a week-long visit to Chicago for their birth couple. One of the things they had been careful of was, again, the nightmares that adoptive parents could be. Both sides had their reasons, but Grant and Leo didn't want to fall into the category of 'caring about the birth mother until the baby arrives, and then casting her aside with a distracted thanks'. Alicia had made it known that she had always wanted to go to Chicago, though she didn't know _why_ , but that they had never had the chance, being as busy as they were. The bulk of the birth expenses were, obviously, being taken care of by Leo and Grant, but it seemed only fair that, as their final thank you, they offer Alicia that trip she'd always wanted. Besides, with the contacts they'd both racked up, over the years, it had been nothing to pull together. With Nolan's help, everything was good to go, seven weeks from now.

Sometimes, Leo wondered if they were being too optimistic. All four of them had agreed that it would be best to cut contact to the minimum, after the baby went home with Leo and Grant. Alicia was adamant that, yes, she was the birth mother, but she wanted the baby to be happy and healthy with his or her own parents, and she was in no way interested in taking that away. All she had asked was for an update on the baby's first birthday. It was a small request to make, as far as Leo could see. Alicia had been blunt, it was for herself, more than for them. She had wanted to give the baby up, and still did, because she knew that she couldn't be any kind of parent, not yet. She just wanted to make sure, in a year, that everyone was happy and healthy, and that she'd made the right choice.

That wording had scared Leo, a little, at first, but Alicia had been frank; she wasn't going to renege on her decision to give up the baby, she just wanted to be sure that, a year from now, they would still be happy and would be doing what they had promised in giving the baby the best life possible.

Considering she was carrying their child, it was a small thing to ask, Grant had pointed out.

“She also,” Leo added, stretching a bit so that his toes brushed the arm of the couch on Grant's side. “Wants to know if we've picked names, yet.”

That was something she had left up to them. Minimal involvement in the baby's life, after birth, for her, meant that she didn't want any part in naming the baby. That was up to the two of them.

Grant looked over, one of his hands circling Leo's ankle, thumb rubbing back and forth along the edge of his foot while he thought. “I know we've figured out first names.”

Leo grinned, and rolled his eyes. “We're going to do this, again?”

“Well!”

Leo waited, eyebrows raised, while Grant cast around for the reasoning behind bringing up their only topic of confusion when it came to picking names for the baby: middle names. Leo wasn't too fussed, either way, but, to Grant, it seemed to be some kind of big deal. Maybe it was because of their own situations.

“I don't even _have_ a middle name, Grant. You _can_ get by in this world without one.”

Grant immediately stopped trying to concoct an argument and gave Leo a flat look. “I know that.”

“So, then why are you getting so worked up about it?” Leo asked, shifting on the couch, pulling his feet back from Grant's lap so he could move in beside him. He left his phone on the couch cushion he'd previously been sprawled across, looping his arm through Grant's so he could settle against his side comfortably. “It's not as intense as the first name thing. We can just pick something.”

“It has to roll nicely.”

Leo jerked back, staring at Grant and trying hard not to laugh. “I'm – sorry, come again?”

Grant sighed. “It has to sound right.”

“A middle name doesn't necessarily make your name 'sound right'.” Leo pointed out, laughing as he did. “My name sounds fine. I don't need a middle name to make it all roll right.”

“Well, your name is _Leopold_.” Grant countered. “With a first name like that, your middle name would probably being something like...” His mouth twitched as he very clearly tried not to smile, casting around for a name. “ _August_. With a name like Leopold, you really don't need a middle name.”

Leo stared at him, deadpan, willing his expression to stay frozen. Grant had a point; his name wasn't common, especially among people in their age group. Many people expected his name to just simply be _Leo_ , only to find out it was short for _Leopold_. It was almost comically hilarious to him, now, but, at the same time, Grant, who was staring back, much less stone-faced, given the way the corners of his mouth twitched, was one to talk.

“Grant. Douglas.” Leo said, firmly. “Your names make you sound like you're about forty years older than you are. And, to be fair, they also make you sound Scottish, so.” That got a laugh out of Grant, and he loosened up, which was what Leo was going for. “So, I have a weird name, and you have an old name. And, if I remember right, our options for the middle name, because I will concede to a middle name being just fine for our son or daughter, are... Alexander, Malcolm, Philip, Antoine, James, Skylar.” He paused, kissing Grant's shoulder. “You know my vote is still for Grant. And then, of course, Aileen, Margaret, Philippa, Annie, Jemma, Skye, and Leah.”

Grant made a face, shaking his head. “Not be a dick or anything, and I know we owe Coulson a lot, but I'm still... really not big on Brody Philip or Mathilda Philippa. With Brody it seems too common, and with Mathilda it causes the same problem my names do.”

Leo nodded, thinking about it. “True.”

Grant's head hit the back of the couch with a soft _whump_ and he groaned. “I really don't know what the answer to this question is, babe.”

It was funny that, now, this was what was bothering Grant about the whole situation. They had made it so far already, past every other obstacle, and now they were sitting and waiting for the answer to the question of the baby's name to just fall into their laps. Over the initial application processes, and over their fights about adopting that seemed very old, now, Leo would definitely take this.

Moving in his seat, he reached up, cupping Grant's face in his hands to guide him down into a kiss, keeping at it until he could feel the other's smile under this lips. “I have an idea. How about you come to bed with me, and when the time comes, we'll just go with whatever comes to mind first. Okay?”

That seemed to be the answer that Grant had needed, going by the way his shoulders fully relaxed, and his smile spread to make his dimples obvious. “Okay.”

 

 

 

Having been SHIELD agents for so long, being woken up by the jarring sound of a phone call in the dead of night wasn't something that either of them were strangers to. They had gotten them countless times, for consults, for notifications to get to HQ, for alerts that someone had been attacked or gone rogue or gone missing. It wasn't a surprise, to either Leo or Grant, to hear the sound of Grant's phone going off, knocking them both of out deep sleep. Grant rolled over, reaching for his phone, while Leo blinked, pulling himself up into a half-sitting position on the bed.

No, they weren't strangers to those dead of night phone calls, but, the fact that they were effectively SHIELD retirees meant that this call was only one thing.

“It's Nolan.” Grant said, simply, before answering the call. Leo's stomach twisted in knots as he listened to Grant's side of the conversation, much more awake than he'd been before Grant had confirmed his suspicion. He could just barely hear Nolan's voice on the phone while Grant replied with “No, it's fine. We'd want to know... Has she?... Okay... Okay, yeah... I know, yeah. Does the doctor...?” Grant laughed, and Leo slid over on the bed, pressing up against his back, cheek pillowed on his shoulder while he tried to listen. “We'll try. Probably see you in a few hours, still.”

If Leo's fingers were hurting Grant where they were gripping, hard, at his hip, he gave no indication.

“Thanks, Nolan... Yeah, please do... Yeah... Yeah, okay... Thanks again. Bye.”

Leo was respectful for the few seconds it took Grant to pull the phone from his ear and set it back on the bedside table. Then he was forcing Grant to roll back into his back, leaning over him, held up by his hands on his husband's shoulders. “What? What did he say? Is everything okay? Is it time? Are we missing it?” He knew, logically, that Grant wouldn't have been laughing, or still in bed, if Nolan had said that it was time, _now_ , and they needed to get to the hospital. It didn't stop him from asking the questions rapid-fire, proving just why it was that he'd never been allowed to run interrogations when they'd been with SHIELD.

At least Grant was laughing. Even in the dim moonlight coming into the room through the spaces in their curtains, Leo could see the way his eyes were lit up, happy, and a little nervous. “Alicia's water broke.”

“Oh my god.” It came out in a rush, and then Leo was moving, scrambling to get out of bed. He would've made it, too, if Grant's arm hadn't gone around his waist, pulling him back against his chest while he continued to laugh.

“Slow down!” The words were said against Leo's hair, fondly, and Leo tried to take a breath. “She's not in labour _yet_. Obviously.” They'd done their reading, and it was coming back to Leo in bits and pieces, now. They had a window of anywhere from 12 hours to 24 hours before everything started. “It happened two hours ago, just finally got her all settled at the hospital now.” Grant continued. “Nolan said, as per Alicia, we should try to get a few more hours of sleep, and he'll call if anything changes drastically. The doctor is saying since this is her first, it will probably be a slow process, so we shouldn't rush.”

Leo was hearing everything Grant was saying. He was also feeling the faint shiver of excitement in the other man's body. The way he wasn't exactly still, and that keen edge on his voice. Grant was being the 'rational' one, but he was just as excited about this as Leo.

“Okay. All right.” Leo settled back into the mattress, pressed back against Grant's chest, before he wormed up and over to grab his phone. “We should let work know. They told me to let them know when we knew and they'd take care of everything. No matter what time everything started.” He swiped his phone open, squinting at the brightness of the screen, before pulling up a message to the head of his NASA department, and tapping out a block of text explaining that everything had started, so he would be going on parental leave, effective immediately. Vaguely, he heard Grant say something that sounded like 'good idea' before the mattress shifted and the room lit up behind Leo with the light from Grant's phone screen.

“Done.” Reaching across the bed to set his phone back on the table, Leo settled again, waiting until he heard the soft tap of Grant's phone against wood on that side. Grant's arm looped around his waist again and the warm press of his body settled back where he'd been. “We're supposed to try to sleep, right?”

Leo's tone had been barely above a whisper, and Grant's reply was the same. “Supposed to.”

“Should we?”

The vibration of Grant's laugh carried all the way down Leo's spine. “Probably. It's going to be a long few hours, after this. We'll be no good to anyone if we're exhausted.”

Leo nodded, and pushed back more into Grant's space, fingers going around his wrist to tug his arm up higher. “Okay. Then... I'll try. No promises.”

“Same goes for me.”

Grant pressed a gentle kiss to his hair, and then pillow they were sharing dipped as he settled back down, doing the same as Leo and attempting to get some sleep. Dimly, Leo was aware of the sound of Scout pacing in the hallway, between their room and the nursery, before he heard the soft sound of the dog laying down again, and sighing soundly, resigned that whatever excitement had begun, it was at a standstill for the moment.

It seemed impossible to even think that they would be able to sleep, now, knowing what they did. Their birth mother was at the hospital, her water broken, waiting on labour to start. Her boyfriend had told them, at her request, to try and get more sleep, especially because the doctor was sure it would be a long while before they needed to worry about anything happening. That all made sense, and yet, unsurprisingly, Leo's brain kept letting him drift off, only to wake him up, ten to twenty minutes later, in a mild panic that he was missing something, that they were needed, that they had to get going to the hospital immediately, _right now_.

It was obvious that Grant was having the same issue. A few times, when Leo woke up, he found his husband lost in sleep, and was thankful for it. More often, however, he woke up to find that Grant's breathing was unsteady, and when he rolled over, he was met with open eyes and a sheepish smile. It was good to know that he wasn't in it alone.

It was also a damn godsend that, after more than two hours of up and down sleeping, finally, when Leo opened his eyes and found Grant watching him, they gave in at the same second with “It's time to get up.”

Scout, in the hallway, heard those crucial two words, and trotted into their room, nosing along Grant's side of the bed. The sun was starting to break, and the light coming through the curtains was much more substantial than it had been at four in the morning. All Leo could see, past Grant's shoulder, was a tawny and black nose, popping up, over and over, before Scout decided that Grant wouldn't scold him, and he put his front paws on the bed, lifting his front half over the side to look at them both.

“Morning, boy.” Leo greeted. “You can tell something's up, huh?”

Scout's only response was to nose at Grant's shoulder, prompting him to roll over and rub the dog's ears.

“Smart boy.” Grant praised. “Gonna have to ask Maurice next door if he'll still be good to come over and check on you and walk you while we're gone.”

At the word 'walk', Scout got much more animated, shifting around in a way that made Leo sure his back legs were dancing on the floor. “Maybe we should go for a walk, Grant.” Leo suggested, pulling the covers off to slip out the other side of the bed. “Just... something quick, before we head to the hospital? Get some of this nervous energy out?”

He didn't wait for Grant's agreement before he pulled open the dresser drawer, looking for clean clothes suitable enough for both a morning walk and the looming drive and stay at the hospital. Scout was already standing by him, looking between what he was doing and the bedroom door, so, even if Grant _hadn't_ been up for it, he had no choice in the matter. He was soundly overruled.

Grant didn't argue, though, and soon enough he and Leo were out in the morning gloom, with Scout on his leash, both wearing old pairs of jeans and t-shirts under well-worn sweatshirts. Leo had the hood of his bundled up around his neck to keep out the morning chill while they walked. They didn't talk much, but there wasn't much to say. Leo could feel the excitement and nervousness in the way Grant held his hand, shifting it every few minutes from lacing their fingers together, to not, and then back again.

“How are you feeling?”

The words were so sudden and so quiet that, for a second, Leo thought he'd imagined that Grant spoke. When he looked over and found his husband watching him, however, he cleared his throat, thinking about it. “Happy.” He answered first, the most obvious answer. “This is what we've been waiting for, what we've wanted... I'm nervous, too, obviously.”

Grant nodded. After how their last adoption attempt had ended, in rejection in the waiting room, it made sense. Not only that, but there was so much that could happen between now and when the baby was born, not all of it good. Nervousness was understandable. “I'm about the same.” He admitted, swinging Leo's hand gently. “Scared, too, but not as badly as I was back when we started all this.”

Scared about being a good father.

It was deeply understandable to Leo that Grant felt that way. His own father had left him and his mother when he was a toddler, and he'd never known the man. His mother had been more than enough to keep him happy and healthy and involved as he grew up. But, for Grant, not only had both his parents been present, they hadn't exactly been model parents, and neither had his older brother, Christian. Growing up like that, it wasn't altogether surprising that Grant had doubts about his own ability to be a parent, especially when his strengths, up until a few years ago, had been defined as killing, asskicking, and espionage.

They had come a long way, though, and Leo knew that Grant knew that. It was why it was never a hardship for him to do something like he did now, in tugging Grant in a little closer. “You're going to be a great dad.”

“So are you.” Grant answered, giving him a thankful smile. Leo smirked, rolling his eyes.

“Well, obviously. I'm me.”

That got a laugh out of Grant, exactly what Leo had hoped for. They were looping back around to their neighbourhood, the sun much higher now, turning the sky gold and pink. At the house nearest theirs – which was saying a lot, as the houses were all greatly spaced apart – Maurice Cludgeon, their neighbour, was putting his briefcase in the passenger seat of his car, nursing his morning coffee.

“Hey, you guys are up and out early!” He greeted, catching sight of them, before really taking them in. “Wait, why are you out this early?”

“I was actually going to give you a call in a bit, Maur.” Grant started. Scout moved forward, sitting in front of Maurice, waiting to be pet. Maurice, no matter how well dressed, was always indulgent of Scout. He'd told them that Scout reminded him of the first dog he'd had when he and his wife, Darlene, had gotten married, and his daughter, Natalie, was especially fond of Scout. “We got the call a few hours ago. Probably going to head to the hospital in the next hour.”

They hadn't discussed it, but Leo was glad to know that Grant was thinking the same as him.

Maurice got to his feet, abandoning scratching Scout behind the ears to grin widely, before spreading his arms wide in an obvious gesture. Both Leo and Grant stepped in for the first hug they'd get as potential new parents. Maurice, being the big man that he was, gave good hugs, so he was welcome to the honour. “Congratulations, guys! I guess you're hoping I'll look out for Scout, here. Which, of course!” Maurice laughed, a big booming sound that would probably wake up the rest of their neighbours. “Damn. Glad to hear it. Let me know what happens, yeah?”

“Yeah, absolutely.” Leo confirmed with a nod. “Thanks again, Maurice.”

“Oh, anytime. An-ee- _time_.” He clapped them both on the shoulder again. “I better start heading to work, you know what the highway's like if you wait too late. I'll call Darlene in the car and ask her to pop over in a few hours and check on him. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Grant and Leo said in unison, before moving out of their neighbour's driveway and heading back to their house at a renewed, quicker pace.

“So glad you want to head over soon.” Leo said, squeezing Grant's hand. “I would have gone stir crazy if you'd said you wanted to wait any longer.”

“I don't think I _can_ wait any longer.” Grant unlocked their front door and ushered both Leo and Scout in. Leo took the leash off of the dog, while Grant kicked his shoes off, and then he hurried up the stairs, the other not far behind him, taking them two at a time, from the sounds of it. “The bags are all ready?”

“Yeah.” Leo opened the closet door to reveal a backpack and another bag, printed in overlapping, pastel coloured elephants. “Have been for weeks.”

“And the paperwork?”

“Already with the social worker at the hospital.”

Grant nodded. “Car seat's in the Charger...”

“Well,” Leo shrugged. “I guess the baby's going to get exposed to your _very_ nice car early on.” He picked up the bags from the closet, tossing the baby bag at Grant. “Come on. Let's get going.” He paused a second, feeling a twist of guilt. “We... should probably message the team.”

Grant's smile turned sheepish. “I'll drive. We can connect your phone to the bluetooth, and both get blasted for not telling them right away when we found out.”

“Jemma is _not_ going to let me hear the end of it.” Leo pointed out, following Grant down the stairs.

“She's a godmother. It's going to be her job.”

 

 

By the time they got to the hospital, and found parking for the car in the long term lot, the sun was fully risen and everyone else in the world was going about their days. Right now, on a normal day, Grant would have been pulling in at the FBI campus, and Leo would probably still be stuck in traffic, heading to his own job. Instead, the two of them were navigating their way through the hospital's hallways, to the floor and room that Nolan – and the nursing staff – had told them Alicia was set up in. The knot of excitement crossed with nervousness was a weight in Leo's chest. There was no telling how long, exactly, but soon, very soon, they were going to be parents. They were going to be fathers, and that was exhilarating and terrifying. They had no more time to wonder if they were ready for this: it was time, they _had_ to be ready for this.

And, really, he thought they were. They had done a lot of growing over the years, and while a dog wasn't anything like a human baby, they had raised Scout together pretty well. They had the house, their cars, their stable jobs, their good neighbourhood. Most importantly, they had each other, and that made it all easier, and worth it.

Nolan wasn't surprised to see them, and that, at least, made Leo lose some of his nervousness. He had been, admittedly, worried that the reason Nolan had insisted that he and Alicia didn't want them there yet was because they were about to receive yet another birth-day rejection. Rather, Nolan was genuinely concerned about the amount of sleep they'd had.

“You know, she's in there sleeping, too. I mean, guys.” Nolan grinned, wide. “You're about to spend the next few months not getting a whole lot of sleep. You're sure you got as much as possible on your last night of freedom?”

Grant rolled his eyes, smiling, while Leo shook his head. “No, we definitely got as much sleep as we wanted.”

“Which means it wasn't as much as you needed.”

Leo shrugged. “We'll nap in the waiting room.” He edged forward, peering into the room Alicia was in, trying not to be too invasive. She was probably exhausted, given how early she and Nolan had come in, and she needed her rest for what was to come. He just couldn't help that, more than anything, he wanted to slip into the room and ask her if he could get her anything – hot towel, water, chocolate, a laptop with a favourite movie, anything – just so that he could make sure that he wasn't just a bystander. The last thing he wanted to do was be there for the birth, but have neither he nor Grant put in the effort to show how much they cared and how very much they appreciated it.

It turned out, though, Alicia wasn't as asleep as Nolan had thought, and when Leo leaned into the room, she put her phone back down on the bedside table and raised her hand. “Leo! I was just sending you guys a message saying I was awake.” Her smile was tired, but sincere. “I guess that wasn't necessary, huh?”

“Guess not.” Grant answered, one of his hands on Leo's back, steering him into the room. “We just knew.”

“You're good like that.” Alicia said with a wink, before shifting in the bed. Leo moved forward, pulling one of the pillows free so that she could get more comfortable, easier. “Thanks. I should probably get up and move around soon. The nurses said sleep was good but that I'd be a lot more comfortable if I moved.” She looked between them. “Because hauling this belly around is comfort.”

Grant winced, but Leo was fairly sure Alicia missed it. “I'd carry it, if I could.”

Alicia laughed. “I'd like to see you with a baby belly, Grant. I'm just complaining about nothing, really. Well, not nothing...” She gave Nolan a pointed look as he joined them. “But I've gotten pretty used to this belly of mine. It's going to be weird to fit into normal clothes again.”

Leo nodded. “I just bet.”

Alicia moved, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and lifting herself up. None of them moved, except to put one hand out, a trained response. Alicia, even though she wasn't going to raise the baby, had put a lot of effort into doing this pregnancy the way she wanted, and that had included not needing anyone to help her unless it was absolutely necessary. Now, with one hand on her belly, she shuffled the way across the floor in her slippers, beckoning them along with her other hand.

“Come on. We're going for a walk. You're going to tell me about the names you've picked and...” She paused, looking over at Nolan. “Is mom here?”

“She should be getting here...” Nolan consulted his watch. “In about 45 minutes.”

“Cool,” Alicia looked at Leo and Grant as she continued to walk. “You'll get to see mom, again. She's very excited for both of you.”

Alicia's mom, Maureen, was a loud woman who could take up an entire room, despite her small size. She had taken an immediate liking to Grant and Leo, and had been the one to send them in all the right directions when they were getting ready to bring this baby into their home. It would be nice to see her again, as they hadn't for a few weeks.

By the time Maureen arrived, they had done a very leisurely two laps of the floor, and Leo was stuck on the phone with Jemma, while Grant was fielding a call from Trip. Jemma had been messaging near non-stop since they had originally called on their way in; Trip was overseas, in Oslo, working a job. A job that, clearly, wasn't too dire that he couldn't reach out to offer his well wishes. Leo smiled, watching Grant lean down to hug Maureen, the phone held away for a second while he did.

“How's Grant holding up?”

“Pretty damn good,” Leo answered into his phone, focusing on Jemma again. “You and I both know this will be a long process, so he doesn't have to start panicking yet. He'll burn himself out if he does.”

Jemma made a sound like the air being let out of a balloon. “You're more likely to panic than he is.” She pointed out. “But I don't think either of you are going to be too much of a handful for this. You're both very ready and you're both looking forward to this, and you're both very, very positive. I could tell that when we talked earlier, on that very, very late phone call.”

Leo rolled his eyes.

“I know you're rolling your eyes, Leo Fitz, and you know damn well that you should have told us just a bit sooner.”

“It was four in the morning.”

“It was seven in the morning for us.”

“You would have...” Leo cast around for an excuse. “Been in the shower.”

“Now you're just looking for excuses.” Jemma admonished. That made Leo laugh.

“You're going to be a very, very good aunt.” He said, not bothering to hide the fondness in his voice. “Thank you, Jemma. For always being there.”

“Oh.” There was the sound like the phone was switching hands – and it probably was, given that the next words out of Jemma's mouth sounded a little choked up. “Of course. What kind of best friend would I be?”

“Not a very good one, I guess.” he answered, feeling a rush of affection for the person on the other side of the country, states upon states away, waiting just as much as he was. “I love you, Jemma.”

“I love you, too, Leo. And Grant. Give him my love.”

“I will.” Leo promised. “And mine to Skye?”

“Always.”

Once Leo was off the phone with Jemma, it was back to walking with Alicia, until noon, when she stated she was all walked out, and ready for lunch. They got her set up in her room, again, with a lunch spread that didn't foot the description of most hospital meals, before they headed to the cafeteria to get something for themselves. Grant's hand found its way into Leo's as they walked there, and barely left it while they ordered and picked up their food, before taking it back to the waiting room to eat. And wait.

This was turning out to be the hardest part of it all. The waiting. Leo had expected that, but it still grated on him, dragging by, second after second ticking away like time had to think before progressing forward a step.

But once Alicia went into labour, that all changed.

Suddenly time was flying by, and fast. Leo wasn't sure that he would remember a lot of it in colour, or even in detail. What he did remember was going in and out of the room with Alicia, sitting with her, working through the pain with her. They played a few rounds of 'how hard can you squeeze Grant's hand before _he_ backs out', laughing with her to distract her from the pain while the nurses and doctor went in and out, checking on her constantly.

Then they were wheeling her away, into the delivery room, to get ready.

Alicia had been adamant on one thing. She understood that it may be important to Leo and Grant, but she hoped that they would understand when she requested that the only person with her in the delivery room be her mother. The fact that this baby would be their son or daughter made that request a little harder than most, but neither Leo or Grant argued, understanding where Alicia was coming from. This was her body, and they had heard more than enough stories about the things the human body did during birth. They weren't going to demand that Alicia put herself on display during all of that. They would get to see the baby very, very quickly after the birth. They would be content with that.

Of course, once the delivery room doors closed, and they were left in the waiting room with Nolan, pacing, and counting the spots on the ceiling tiles, contentedness seemed to evade them. Time had been dragging, and then rushing, and now, as though out of spite, it seemed to be dragging even worse than before.

Leo's phone was full of messages. Grant's was, too. He had been the one to send the message that Alicia had gone into labour, Leo the one who had sent the message that she was in the delivery room. They weren't paying attention to those messages, right now, though.

“Lilies?” Leo asked. “And orchids?”

“Yep.” Nolan confirmed, fussing with a loose thread on his sweater. “Those are her favourites.”

“Easy enough.” Grant said, swiping down the flower delivery company's ordering screen, selecting the flowers that would make up Alicia's thank you wreath. Leo, at his side, though more practically in his lap, with how closely he was leaning, fingers drumming a mindless tune on his upper arm, watching and muttering when he saw a flower he particularly liked.

“You guys have been great, you know.”

Leo looked up then, at Nolan, brows furrowing. Grant stilled in typing in the delivery information to look over, and though Leo couldn't see his face, he sensed it was just as confused.

“I just wanted you to know that. We heard and read so many horror stories about how shitty some adoptive couples could be, and, I mean, we got it. This would be your baby. But it's Alicia's body and... I know she's going to thank you, but thank you. For being so cool. We couldn't have picked a better couple.”

Leo waved his hand, rolling his eyes and smiling, anything to work past the lump in his throat before he spoke. This whole baby business was getting to him, emotionally. Thankfully, Grant spoke up before it got to the point where Leo making those actions and not talking would be awkward.

“You two made it easy.” He assured Nolan. “You're a good couple, and while... I mean, obviously it's good for us that you aren't ready, yet. I think you guys'll be good parents, someday.”

Nolan smiled, and Leo was assured to see he wasn't the only one that was on the emotional end of the spectrum. “Thanks, Grant. That really--”

He cut himself short as the delivery room doors opened, and Alicia's doctor walked out. This was it. Leo found himself focusing to memorize _these_ details. Her blue scrubs, her white sneakers, and the big, bright grin on her face when she said the words they have been waiting for.

“Congratulations. It's a boy.”

 

 

“Do you think you could have annoyed the other drivers any more?”

Grant met Leo's eyes in the rearview mirror, and Leo grinned, before looking back down into the baby seat. “Unless they're bringing home brand new babies, they'll never understand, _and_ I don't give a damn if I annoyed them. I was being cautious.”

It had been two days at the hospital, in the end, before they were allowed to bring their son home. They pediatrician had checked him out, and declared him very healthy, fit to go home. They had stopped by Alicia's room to make sure she was doing well – she was – and that she'd gotten her flowers – she had, and she wasn't sure how she was going to get them home, big as the arrangement was – and that she wouldn't mind if they called in a few days – she wouldn't – before they'd all said their goodbyes, and Leo and Grant had taken the baby out to the Charger to head home.

At a very healthy six pounds, ten ounces, Brody James Fitz-Ward was finally coming home, and, unsurprisingly, his dads couldn't be happier about it.

Brody had been born with a funny little tuft of dark brown hair on his head, and it was that tuft of hair that Leo was gently, so gently, running his fingers over, now, while Grant pulled into the driveway.

“Besides, how do you even know I was annoying other drivers?” Grant asked. “You've barely looked away from him the whole trip.” The car shut off, and Grant took his seatbelt off, twisting around in his seat. “How is he? Still sleeping?”

“Mhmm.” Leo said, tearing his eyes away from Brody to meet Grant's. “Did you want to go in and get Scout settled, and then...?”

Grant nodded. “Probably best.” Shifting in the seat again, he leaned forward to kiss Leo, gentle and sweet. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Leo murmured back, feeling the balloon of happiness in his chest expand yet again. Grant disappeared into the house, with their backpack that had served as their overnight bag, and the baby bag of clothing and things they'd brought for the baby. Leo waited, patiently, watching Brody's face while he slept, hardly believing what he was seeing.

He was a father, and he was the father of the most beautiful baby on the planet.

He had to snort at himself. It hadn't taken long for the sappy feelings to penetrate his brain and render him a mess.

Grant was back at the car within five minutes, helping Leo to unload the car seat. Leo let him carry it, walking into the house first and stopping to greet Scout, who was, understandably, overjoyed to see them, and extremely, extremely curious about what it was that Grant was carrying.

“He was already all over me.” Grant said, walking through the entranceway and main hallway to get to their open concept kitchen, dining room and living room. He set the car seat on the counter, and set to work undoing the straps. “He can smell baby. You want to sit on the couch, and I'll bring him over?” Leo nodded, and couldn't help grinning as Grant continued, in a suddenly much softer tone. “Oh. Hey, buddy. Hi. You woke up, huh? Welcome home...”

Leo settled on the couch, holding up a finger at Scout, who immediately sat down, his tail swishing back and forth across the floor while he looked from Leo to Grant. Leo heard the telltale sounds that meant Brody was awake, and felt a white hot rush of affection, before Grant was coming around the couch and leaning down to transfer the baby to his arms.

“Scout, stay.” Grant warned, letting Leo get Brody settled. He was definitely awake, now, his big blue eyes taking in everything about the room, before they landed on Scout, the only other moving thing he could see. Scout, for his part, was rigid, or would have been, if he wasn't just about shaking with excitement and curiosity.

Grant reached a hand out to Scout, and Leo mimicked him, and the dog edged forward carefully. “Good boy.” Grant praised, his voice low. “Gentle. Very, very gentle, Scout. Good boy.”

Scout edged forward until he could pillow his head on Leo's lap, his muzzle touching one of Brody's legs, nostrils flaring while he sniffed, inhaling the new smell. “Good boy.” Leo repeated, rubbing behind one of his ears. “This is Brody.”

Brody, for his part, seemed fascinated into silence by the thing that was touching him. Not fear, but interest, was all Leo could read in his features, watching while his little fingers gripped at nothing. After a few moments, Scout looked over at Grant, and put a paw on the couch, testing the waters. When Grant didn't stop him, he lifted himself up, keeping a careful distance, still sniffing at Brody, curious. Grant's hand came up, hovering, ready to push Scout back if he got too dangerously close, but he simply settled down again. Not before he bumped his nose lightly against the arm that Leo was holding Brody with, and licked his hand.

“Good boy.” Leo praised again. “Good, good boy, Scout. That deserves a treat.”

Grant nodded, smiling brightly as Scout got to his feet again. “It sure does.” He stood up, turning to Leo. “You want to get comfortable with him? I'll warm up his bottle while I'm up, and then...?”

“I would _love_ to lay down.” Leo answered, reading Grant's mind. “I miss our bed.”

“That makes two of us.” Grant said, before he moved over to the kitchen.

Leo could hear him moving around in there. He could hear the sounds of him letting Scout out, and refilling his water and food dishes, and he could hear the sounds of Brody's bottle being prepared. He heard all of it, and he was aware of all of it, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Brody. It was almost hard to believe that, after everything, he was sitting on the couch, in the house he shared with his _husband_ , and he was holding their _son_. Brody was still awake, and he was shifting and looking around, staring right back at Leo and tugging at his blankets, at the almost too big onesie they'd put on him to bring him home. He was the most captivating thing, and Leo was quietly very glad that Grant had left him to sit and drink Brody in, to bask in their son, because he wasn't sure he would be able to force himself to be as productive as Grant was, now.

“In you come.” Grant said, and Leo finally looked away, watching Scout come into the house again, going straight to his water dish. Grant closed and locked the back door, and then came over to the couch, one of the baby blankets from the bag in his hand, along with a warm bottle of formula. “I think this is the right temp.” He said, settling down on the couch. “I tested it with the thermometer and on my wrist...”

Leo reached for the bottle with a smile. “You want to hold him while he eats? I'll triple check this for you while you get comfortable.”

He didn't think he would have to fight with Grant, but it was still funny to watch Grant light up and nod, before carefully, gently taking Brody from him. Leo waited while Grant got comfortable on the other end of the couch, and then handed over the bottle, after testing it on his own wrist. “It's good.” He assured, and Grant nodded, before making a dumb face at Brody.

Leo laughed. “He's going to think you're going to feed him every time you make that face if you keep doing it.”

“Maybe I _will_ feed him every time I make this face.” Grant countered, but he put his normal expression back, offering Brody the bottle. For a few seconds, it seemed like he wasn't going to take it, but then he did, and Leo felt a spike of fondness at the way Grant truly relaxed once he had.

“You're doing great, you know.”

“So are you.” Grant said, quietly, watching Brody while he fed. Leo clicked his tongue and shifted over on the couch, moving so he could carefully press a kiss to Grant's cheek without disturbing the baby. “I know you were worried, Grant.”

“I was...” He admitted. He still wasn't looking away from Brody, but Leo could hardly blame him. “But I look at him, and I look at you, and I think about us... And I think we're going to be okay.”

Leo smiled, curling into the space next to him. “I know we will be.”

By the time Brody was done feeding, Leo could feel the ache of exhaustion really setting into his spine, and didn't argue for a second when Grant suggested they head upstairs. The bedroom was the way they'd left it, with their bedsheets mussed from their early rising, but it almost worked out better that way. Leo changed into sleep pants while Grant changed Brody, and then Leo settled Brody in the middle of the bed with their sheets pulled up, just to the baby's feet, watching Brody watch Grant while he moved around the room, picking up Leo's discarded clothes, and his own, tossing them into the hamper before he got into sleep pants of his own and joined him.

It was good, and it felt right, like this. The two of them, comfortable in bed, with their newborn son between them, looking from Leo to Grant, making faces and fidgeting. Content, and curious, and them, happy.

Happier than Leo thought he would be, and that was saying something, considering he had expected a lot of happiness. He could tell that Grant felt the same, without either of them expressing it. They had been ready to be happy and overjoyed, even if they were still a little nervous and scared. They hadn't prepared for it to feel this _good_. Laying on his side in bed, with Brody's tiny fingers curling and uncurling around one of his, while Grant slowly, gently rubbed his tummy, Leo found he was very, very okay with that surprise.

They told Brody stories. Not stories about dragons and bears and dwarves and all the other things that parents tell their babies. Laying in that bed together, they told Brody stories he wouldn't remember about his amazing aunt Jemma and awesome aunt Skye. They wowed him – or would have, if he understood being wowed by words – with stories about uncle Trip and grandma Melinda, and grandpa Phil. And they laughed, remembering they hadn't cleared the 'grandpa' title with Coulson, yet, and then again, harder, when Brody burbled in response to their laughter.

It wasn't long before Brody was quiet, eyes nearly closed, falling asleep while they doted on him, looking from him, to each other, sometimes meeting eyes, but more often than not, simply watching the other watch their son.

It was the quietest slice of perfection Leo had ever experienced, and he wanted nothing more than to drown in it.

“We should probably move him.” Grant said, finally, breaking the silence. “Into the bassinet.”

Leo hummed in response.

“I don't want to look away, though.” Grant added with a quiet laugh, and Leo grinned.

“It hasn't taken us long at all to fall into all those stupid New Parent Things, did it?”

“Nope.” Grant agreed. “Skye asked me how long I thought it would take before I didn't want to be away from him, when I talked to her this morning.”

Leo smiled, watching while Grant rolled into his back and stretched slightly. “And you said?”

“I didn't give her an estimate, because I was already wanting to be stuck by his side by that point.”

Leo laughed again, and shook his head while he moved away from Brody, getting out of bed so he could pick him up. For a second, he started awake, but, seeing Leo, he settled again, eyes closing, lips moving while Leo gathered him in his arms and moved towards the crib. Grant rolled out of bed on the other side to join him, leaning over the railing to tug the blankets back. Once he was settled in the bassinet – in the crib – Grant pulled the blankets back into place.

“Worth it, though. Right?” Leo asked, touching Grant's arm and motioning towards their bed. “Being sappy stereotypes of new dads?”

“It is.” Grant got into bed, moving over until he was on his back, just in the right place for Leo to curl up against him, both of them looking over at the crib. It was quiet, nothing but the sound of Brody's breathing, and theirs, and the muffled sound of Scout coming up the stairs to lay down outside their bedroom door, before Leo spoke again.

“Do you think that's overkill?”

“Hm?”

“The bassinet... In the crib.” Leo clarified, moving to meet Grant's eyes. “Do you think that's overkill?”

Grant scoffed, waving a hand. “Nope. Never too cautious.”

Smiling, Leo settled back into place, looping his arm around Grant's waist. “You're ridiculous.”

“You love me.”

“You're damn right.” Leo assured, shifting again to press a kiss to Grant's jaw. “Come on, new dad. Let's get some shut eye while the baby lets us. If the books were right, we won't get a whole lot of this in the future.”

 


End file.
